How to soften butter for Cakes and Cookies

When it comes to baking all the recipes call for “ingredients at room temperature” and people often tend to overlook this step. Why is this step so important – let’s dig deep look into this concept and find out the connection between room temperature and baking and how to soften butter for cakes and cookies?

With cold butter sticks the end result will not be pleasing and you may end up having a flatten cake/cookie. WHY? Because butter has a tendency to hold air and when beaten with sugar it forms a fluffy creamy mixture which is a stepping stone to a well risen cake/cookie. But baking science is completely different for pie crust. For making a pie you need solid pieces of butter kneaded into flour; for a flaky crust.

So the next time a recipe calls for soften butter and you have skipped this part; no worries just follow this simple trick of how to soften butter for cakes and cookies and you will be good to go.

1. Take stick/s of butter out of the refrigerator. Using the thickest side of a grater, grate butter stick over it and you will end up having thin butter shreds.

2. Allow it to sit on the counter for about 10-20 minutes depending on the weather.

3. Rub it in between your fingers and if it melts right away, its good for your recipe.